Few things catch the eye like ruby. This July birthstone has a color which can be described as a deep, pure, vivid red. Ruby, a variety of the mineral corundum (which also includes sapphires), is as historically captivating as it is beautiful. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj or “king of precious stones” for its rarity, hardness (second only to diamond), beauty, and for its seemingly mystical powers.